Overview

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said China did not help stop the war and has aided Russia by opening the drone market, reiterating earlier allegations of support for Russian arms production.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov floated United Nations Security Council members, including China, as potential guarantors under a settlement.
• China’s Foreign Ministry, through spokesperson Mao Ning, said Beijing has acted openly and aboveboard and is willing to play a constructive role in a political resolution.
• The remarks followed U.S. and European talks this week on a possible postwar peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
• China’s close ties with Russia, including their pre‑invasion “no limits” partnership, and Western accusations of sanctions evasion underpin Kyiv’s mistrust of Beijing’s mediator role.